Mr. Worby Beaumont s Views on Speed.
Page 18
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Amongst the other matter which was unavoidably crowded out from our issue of last week, and one, to which a brief Editorial reference was then made, was that giving Mr. Beaumont's views upon the subject of undue speed, quoted from his recent paper before the Coventry Engineering Society. This reads : " With regard to the suicidal speed at which the omnibuses are driven, it must be admitted that the drivers are not alone to blame in some cases, but the conditions of public service in large towns will make it necessary that the motors shall be really governed, and, perhaps, with a governor actuated by the shaft which drives the propeller shaft or the sprocket shaft. Excessive speeds have been overlooked in London, but measures will be taken to put a stop to this, for the noise and vibration have become intolerable even in the houses of those who favour the use of motor omnibuses. It is not quite fair, perhaps, to make the driver alone suffer for this excessive speed, although it is in his hands. The time table of some of the companies may be studied in this connection.
" The noise and vibration referred to are very real causes of complaint, and the cost of causing the complaint in wearing and tearing the vehicles to pieces is enormous to the omnibus owners. The Electrobus,' which is driven by electric motors, and the maximum speed of which is automatically controlled by back e.m.f., runs always at a sufficient speed, never an excessive speed, and always much faster than horse omnibuses, and this is sufficient. Some automatic check on petrol motor omnibus maximum speed is equally necessary. Anything rather than ultimately lose the accommodation of the mechanically-propelled vehicle, a loss which we shall experience, if the destructive practice of the very high speed of some omnibus drivers and owners is not stopped."